I should have written about this a while back, but I haven’t really been in the mood.
A couple weeks ago, I drove down to my old hometown (only an hour away) on a Wednesday evening right after work, with massive homework assignments due that very evening. In short, I had absolutely no right to take this time away from my busy schedule.
Screw responsibility for a little while.
I had gotten an email from a friend of mine a couple weeks before that, someone that I hadn’t spoken to since high school. As we’ve discussed before, high school was not one of the better times in my life, and I am glad that I am no longer there.
In short, high school sucked. What is it that you people found so cool about high school anyway? I honestly think I’ll never understand that mindset.
Sorry, tangent. I’m bad about that.
Anyway, Wednesday night, I drove down to visit an old friend from high school, one that I hadn’t seen in 5 years. To admit, we were never really that close during high school. Since I live at the shiny brass buckle of the Bible belt, I’ve known quite a few of what I’ve termed as “Hyper-Christians”.
As a matter of fact, there’s one that hangs out on the campus where I work on occassion, with a deeply ingrained propensity for calling people “Fornicators”, “Whores”, and other such colorful terms of affection.
This man is not my most favorite human being on the planet. In other words, I wouldn’t hang out with him by choice. Of course, by his standards, I’m a sinner, all around.
I don’t prescribe to his form of Christianity. As a matter of fact, my beliefs are rather unique. I have a rather Daoist philosophy, although one that is far from mature. I have Christian beliefs, but I rarely talk about them. And unfortunately, I think Christianity is by far the most appealing religion, if it just weren’t for all of the Christians.
Now now, don’t go pressing that “Comment” button or firing up your e-mail. You know what I mean. Besides, when was the last time you heard of a Zen Buddhist suicide bomber? When was the last time you heard about a Daoist waking onto a crowded street corner and gunning down a few innocent passer-bys? What about a Japanese Shintoist flying a plane into a building?
I’m not saying you, my reader, are a bad person or a worse Christian. I’m just saying there are far too many of these types out there, and not just in Christianity. And in a religion where the goal is to “win” as many “converts” as possible, as if saving souls were some kind of game show (”Big Converts, big converts, big converts, no whammies, STOP!”), you’re going to cause conflict. Daoism, Buddhism, all of these belief systems are personal, in that the goal is to improve oneself, not everyone else around oneself.
As my mother used to say, “When you’re perfect, you can start worrying about other people.”
Arrgggh, there I go again, another tangential tirade. I shouldn’t get onto my religious beliefs in this post. Must save it for another day. Must go back to topic at hand. Must… concentrate… Must… write… like… how.. William Shatner… speaks.
Ahem. Ignore those last few paragraphs.
Anyway, I met up with Smiling Julie, who will also now be a permanent fixture on my links section (as soon as I get around to adding her). We had coffee, we had pie, and chatted about old times, old friends, and what was new in life.
Boy, has Julie changed.
No longer the Hyper-Christian she once was (and just to assure, she was never as bad as my little “friend” who calls people whores and such), she has now taken quite a liberal view of religion, one which I personally agree with, and find generally more socially acceptable. And you know what? It suits her, despite my mild surprise.
The point that she has changed is not important, really. I’m glad that I can chat with her, and not feel like I’m being judged (which, in all fairness, she probably wasn’t doing 5 years ago, but sometimes it felt like it).
The thing that really got to me was that had changed, and so much, in 5 years.
Which got me thinking, of course. I don’t really think I’ve noticed all of the changes I’ve been going through, since slow, progressive change is difficult to detect when you see yourself everyday. However, when the last image of someone in your mind is from 5 years ago, the metamorphosis is obvious.
I know I have changed, and, I’d like to think in many ways, for the better. But unfortunately, I’m not as good at analyzing myself as I am other people.
Which begs another question… What will I be like in 5 years? Will I continue to improve? Will I still be doing this blog, writing for all the world to see (aka, ignore)? will I have attained cosmic significance? If not significance, how about Enlightenment? Boddhisatva, at least?
Interesting questions, to say the least. It will, as it has always has been, be an interesting journey.
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